TAMOXIFEN thread number 8 ********

[MaryAnnSingleton]

just in case we run out of space !

I am sorry you had such a bad night figgy. Take it easy today.

sorry to hear about bad night figgy

Poor Figgy. It'll pass - and in the meantime, I hope you can enjoy a nice lunch date.

Well done to every one who has got a chemo and/or tests out of the way this week (including Sparkles Junior) - here's to a restful but happy weekend for all.

Typing and running - but have read all your posts. Will catch up again later. x

Figgy, a lot of women call it the Tax truck, which makes sense as if you're unlucky enough to get the aches, it does feel a bit like you've been hit by something. Poor you, though I do like your positive slant. My Onc said if your body's being hit hard, then definitely try and see it as a good sign that the drugs are working.

MAS, that would wind me up too. Honestly the DM are just idiots. and or just swearing lots might help. Keep ranting if it helps.

Am mighty pleased to hear lots of our DC are complete wusses over splinters. Last time DS had one you'd have thought it was a whole tree or something. Sparkle don't feel guilty though - splinters are sods like that and mostly they work their own way out. Really hope it doesn't get any worse for your DD. And sorry to hear about DS's day at the hospital. My DS would have been terrified too. He won't even open his mouth at the dentist.. What are the blood tests for? Hopefully something that might help him.

For all those trying wigs, I went to this place. It's in London though and am not sure where you all live. Very good young woman, called Jen who let me try on lots and was excellent about working out what would suit me or not. Once you've chosen, she'll cut it to your style too. www.bloomsburywigs.com/chemotherapy.html

LGF, hope you had a good night and no side effects in sight.

Better get on with the day.

Re taxotere I had to take paracetamol and ibuprofen together for the pain and it did work-I only had it really badly after tax1 though

WOW you lot have been chatty. Don't have time to reply to all but just wanted to go back to what LJ was asking about Taxol.

I had 4 x AC and 4 x Taxol. Mine was administered in a dose dense approach (i.e. every two weeks, rather than the usual three) I had a tough old time on AC and ended up neutropenic with each cycle and being hospitalised on isolation, and I had to have my final AC dose reduced by 20%. My onc was worried that Taxol would be too tough on me and she wanted to give me the weekly 12 doses that your onc is suggesting. This would have also taken me through into the school hols. I convinced my onc to let my try my first dose at full whack if I promised to take my temp at least 3 times a day and to come in if I felt at all unwell. In the event I tolerated Taxol much better than I did AC, and was therefore able to keep to the fortnightly schedule originally planned. I had more nausea and the aches weren't fun and it made my mood very low, but otherwise it was really doable.

A woman I know who was going through chemo at the same time as me had weekly taxol and she found it very tiring indeed. She's older than I think you are (she's in her early 60s) though and things weren't helped by the fact that her port got a DVT in it and so they had to take it out and use her arm veins which weren't very good and she got plebitis as a result, poor thing.

It's a tough call. I pushed for sticking to the schedule because I felt that was what would have the most impact on the cancer and I really wanted to hit it hard. Also, I just couldn't face the longer time spent in chemo land as well.

I hope that helps, if you're still deciding on what to do.

• I started chemo a year ago tomorrow. Can't believe how fast that time has gone! Just been skiing and coped well with that. Hurrah!

Yeah Pennies - how was skiing? Iam impressed, my idea of skiing is to watch everyone else do it whilst I sit cuddling a hot chocolate .....honest it really is a hot chocolate.

Smee - the nurse at the gp's lanced her finger, dressed it with a special dressing to draw the pus off, and she has a weeks worth of anti bios. Still feeling guilty, though, and she was so good, just looked at me with those big brown eyes and whispered, she's going to prick me with that needle isn't she!

Ds is having tests for coeliac disease, iron levels, kidney and bladder functions and loads more, ultrasounds and scans too. Anything and everything that can explain his lack of weight gain for the last 18 months, and just to check there is nothing else going on with him. His medical condition, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, can only be dx by clinical dx, no genetic test yet, so they have to do a differential dx to make sure they have ruled everything else out.I am sure all the resluts will come back negative, although ironically I am hoping it is something else which we can "fix" rather than be left with nothing they can do. He has just been given a neosmart mini laptop thingy to use to write in class, he is so over the moon, had to come back home after dropping him off at school and have a little cry. He is esctatic about being able to be like everyone else.

How are you foing LGF and figgy, and are you hanging in there LJ?

Oh and also LJ have you had your port fitted yet? I've got one and if you've got any questions I'm happy to see if I can help. I've got something of a love / hate relationship with the thing tho!

KK - very to hear twas just the meds making you feel unwell.

Wahey to Pennies for being a year on from chemo. Seems like yesterday.

So glad your ds has got his mini laptop sparkles - there is a boy in dd's class whose parents had to fight tooth and nail for one, but it has made a HUGE difference. I hope his tests reveal what is wrong and what can be done to get him thriving again: and I am so glad dd's finger is on the mend. Splinters are little gits and, to be honest, even if you had had a go at it yourself, you probably would not have done any good with the Dig It Yourself approach. Their fingers are just too tiny.

Must go, am having to make major, urgent alterations to a publication I'm doing that was finished really - then one of the people mentioned heavily in it has just suddenly upped and died. No warning at all. A very, very nice person who was full of beans - and not even 50.

Should have said - I am not airbrushing her out. Just changing the emphasis of some stories, and preparing a suitable obituary and some plaudits.

How devastating.

oh dear Cakes- how awful - am sure you'll do a brilliant job.
Pennies- hooray for a year on -time has really sped by -am glad you had a good time ski ing.
Cakes -btw- am going to post your Toast to you anyway as it only seems fair that you 3 get it at the same time ! Am not allowed to send/hand out until after tomorrow.

Hi all, - lots of posts

• one year one from start of chemo - that's worth a or two! - Did I see on another thread you are singing a solo? - you brave, brave woman - hope it goes brilliantly

Figgy - sorry you are feeling a bit rough today, taste does change and it feels a bit odd - I'm glad you enjoyed your crunchy peas though - you'll probably discover a few new favourites along the way

Sparkle - poor little sparkle-juniors - splinters can be a devil to see, and it only takes a tiny bit of something to set an infection off - so don't feel guilty - bless your little DD, she was very brave. And DS - gosh all these tests are hard enough when you are grown up - but I hope they give you more information which will help him. So pleased he is so chuffed his mini laptop

Cakes - what a sad thing to happen - I'm sure you will do a great job with your re write. Good luck.

MAS - DH had a slight panic last night when he got his e-mail saying he had to write a number/name in all the books - writing is one of his pet hates - he'd rather type
The DM article does sound annoying - there's an awful lot of ignorance out there, I think you just have to shake your head in amazement and move on.

I went to keep fit today, but the teacher had had to cancel at the last minute - so we just had coffee biscuits and chat

Thanks for all the good wishes about the medication. The GP said it will take a few weeks before I feel right again (and then only if he has got the dose right - it may still need adjusting) But actually I do feel a lot better because I don't feel anxious now I know what's going on - which is a great improvement.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with DD, she's having a haircut, then looking for a dress for a ball next week, and some jeans (standing in shop while DD tries on and rejects twenty pairs of jeans is one of the seven circles of hell)

Hope everyone has a good weekend - take it gently our chemo ladies

Have fun shopping Kurri, sounds like a blast

KK - shopping sounds fun,I think !! Choosing a dress for a ball anyway...maybe not the jeans
I wrote my numbers and my name etc- was worried about getting it wrong, but it seems ok. Is dh going out on the streets to hand them out ? Am very pleased to have allocated homes for all of mine so I don't need to accost total strangers !
That DM article actually had lots of good,thoughtful responses which is heartening- I think the headline was just a bit off and encourages numbskulls to say things like 'the woman should pull herself together'
Hope everyone has a good w/end and that the chemo side effects are tolerable.

Hi ladies,

Sorry I haven't updated earlier - it has been a busy but not stressful/running around day!! I feel ok at the moment. I woke up this morning after having a surprisingly good sleep (probably the best I've had in weeks) and DP bought me tea and toast in bed, so I could take medication ...bless. I then got to work on dressing up kids for World Book Day.

My mum and dad have come to stay for a few days as DP has to work over the weekend, after having a fair bit of time off in the past weeks. It helps with childcare, cooking etc. I actually managed to fall asleep this afternoon for half an hour, which was lovely.

I am taking the anti-sickness tablts and steroids as directed, so all is ok :)

Figgy - sorry to hear you had a bad night. I hope all is ok today? Take it easy over the weekend.

Hi, lots to read here! Pennies - nice to see you!

Does anyone want to consider a hardly worn wig?? If so what colour hair are you? I have a fair coloured, good quality short wig - worn literally 5 times for a couple of hours each time and with a head-cap thingy under it. I'll send it free if its any good to any of our newer ladies. (If anyone interested I'll post a photo of my daughter wearing it - she tried it for a laugh!

Cakes about your friend.

MAS and Sparkle - sorry you've got a lot to cope with - don't know how you manage really.

Love to all.

Glad to hear you have been ok today LGF. Make the most of having help this weekend, and take lots of rest.

PS - bit of good news. DS and his best mate have each got a place on a 4 days uni-taster day at UCL in late June. They are mad keen to go so this is a great opportunity for them. It'll be all on bio-chemical engineering. Just mentioning it as some of you have helped me with science advice in the past.

Sandripples - I have very dark hair which is a shame :)

Sparkle - I will most certainly make the most of the help. My mum loves to do it :)

SR that is very exciting for them!!!!

I'm glad you've had a good day LGF, take advantage of help over the w/e, and take things easy. Lovely that you got a good night's sleep.

SR - how exciting for DS, I hope he has a great time. I had an interview for UCL many many years ago. It used to have the rather bizarre preserved body of Jeremy Bentham in a glass case - not sure if it's still there, but might be worth a look

Ugggg sounds horrid Kurri - green for feeling slightly ill

oh yes,I think he is still there,in his case. Dh had an interview there-but ended up in Birmingham.
Take care LGF - rest and relax

SR - excellent for ds and friend -very exciting !

Thank you for the offer, Sandripples, but I've got very dark hair too. A fair shade might be too much of a shock for my nearest and dearest. Good news about your DS and his best mate.

Glad you've got your mum and dad to help you LGF. Make the most of it and let them spoil you rotten.

Well, I made an executive decision about 5 mins. ago. Pains in legs and hips were starting again so, took temp and it's normal, and popped a couple of paracetamol to help me sleep when I go up shortly.

Night night everyone, hope you have a peaceful night. xxx